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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28888149">Dead Red</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pygmypuffonacid/pseuds/Pygmypuffonacid'>Pygmypuffonacid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The cosmos started laughing when Adrian ate that ipecac laced biscotti [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work, Teen Wolf (TV), The Martian - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Baseball, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blackmail, Crack, Drama, Prank Wars, Pyrotechnical shenanigans, Slow Burn, Supernatural Shenanigans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:00:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,895</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28888149</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pygmypuffonacid/pseuds/Pygmypuffonacid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>My first kiss was on national television. At the bottom of the ninth, Game seven at the Little League World Series,</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrian Fletcher/ Josephine Deveraux, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The cosmos started laughing when Adrian ate that ipecac laced biscotti [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2133225</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jo’s POV</p><p>My first kiss was on national television. At the bottom of the ninth, Game seven at the Little League World Series, I was 11.</p><p>Adrian Fletcher slid into home plate a hairs breath before the third baseman through the ball after him, The baseball was in my Catchers mitt a split second After he made it to home plate, I still got him with the mitt but the umpire called it.</p><p>Safe.... </p><p>And Adrian started to grin he was an asshole even though.</p><p>Instead of running To his team’s dugout like any normal player who had just won the biggest game of the year Fletcher stood there dusting himself off waiting for some thing It seemed. I couldn’t help it the umpire  had wandered off I pulled my mask up intent on telling this guy from Boston to get the fuck away from me so I could mop behind the plate. Instead of telling him to fuck off before I could even open my mouth, the jerk kind of half lunged at me , Like he was going to tackle me, But instead of crashing to the ground he smashed out faces together instead, Behind home plate after he just be my team 11 to 10. I’m proud to say I did the only thing a girl could in that situation. I punched him, It was a Clean break according to the paramedics.</p><p>It was 4 years Before I saw him again.</p><p>My first kiss was on national television. At the bottom of the ninth, Game seven at the Little League World Series, I was 11.</p><p>Adrian Fletcher slid into home plate a hairs breath before the third baseman through the ball after him, The baseball was in my Catchers mitt a split second After he made it to home plate, I still got him with the mitt but the umpire called it.</p><p>Safe...</p><p>And Adrian started to grin he was an asshole even then</p><p>Instead of running To his team’s dugout like any normal player who had just won the biggest game of the year Fletcher stood there dusting himself off waiting for some thing It seemed. I couldn’t help it the umpire  had wandered off I pulled my mask up intent on telling this guy from Boston to get the fuck away from me so I could mop behind the plate. Instead of telling him to fuck off before I could even open my mouth, the jerk kind of half lunged at me , Like he was going to tackle me, But instead of crashing to the ground he smashed out faces together instead, Behind home plate after he just be my team 11 to 10. I’m proud to say I did the only thing a girl could in that situation. I punched him, It was a Clean break according to the paramedics.</p><p>It was 4 years Before I saw him again</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jo’s  POV</p><p>When I say I didn’t “ see” Fletcher for five years that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel his presence or existence in the world. </p><p> </p><p>The next year my team made it to the little league World Series Again but we got knocked out by a team from Japan Tokyo to be precise in game three. I’m happy to say Adrian and his Bostonian cohorts were firmly trounced by some lovely players from Tennessee immediately following my tragic demise on the diamond that day. I didn’t see Adrian that year but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know he was there the slip and slide set up in the hallway of our hotel was proof enough of that the Boston team somehow procured yards of plastic, duct tape, And most likely a metric ton of shampoo. They turned the massive main hallway of the Marriott we were staying at on the third floor into one giant slip and slide at about 2 AM on the last night before those of us that had lost had to go home.</p><p>There were probably 400 people in that hallway crowded together taking turns sliding on that giant improvised slip and slide it was fantastic and hilarious one of the guys from New York ran headfirst into the wall and dented it he was fine a little shook up but nothing bad. One of the Boston players the guy who played shortstop the last time I saw him manage to find me in the crowd and grab my shoulder along with one of my teammates and actually tried to drag us out of the line for the slip and slide said something about a party in the room for the Boston players and then wanting us around. I elbowed the guy directly in the diaphragm knocked the wind out of the asshole no one has the right to touch me or drag me out of a line for something that might actually might be entertaining it was nearly my turn after all I pulled Duncan Duncan the third baseman from my team and longtime friend back in line with me while the Boston guy most likely front of Adrian gasped for breath Because I had knocked the wind out of him. It’s probably not a good thing I resort to violence before shouting but it’s quite effective when dealing with 12-year-old boys. And you’re only one of four girls there for the tournament do you have to make an impact and make sure they understand your point.</p><p>When it was our turn for the slide I just started running took a leaping dive into the slip and slide and just kept going the thing Ran the length of most of the Wide hallway With most of the players from various teams whooping and hollering cheering us on as I slid I hit the end of the slip and slide and kept going probably shouldn’t have worn that friction resistant Crazy smooth workout T-shirt my mom got me practicing during the summer she was worried about heat stroke or something. But I just kept going there was a door open at the end of the hall and I just kind of slid in I ran into one of the trash cans next to the door with alarm shouts of surprise from the occupants at the hotel room I heard a distinctive voice Adrian  the asshole, I don’t know his voice anywhere they caught him on audio when he kiss me last year and they played the clip when they were announcing the victors last year along with certain bios it’s all over YouTube still this year when the tournament rolled around it was part of a viral video about highlights from last year’s tournament the future of baseball they called it. I wanted to check my laptop down the stairs but mom made me stop because it was expensive and grandma would be upset if she had to replace it.</p><p>At least the video shows me punching him square in the face and there were lots of constant comments about bloodshed and you go girl from various anonymous Internet sources look like a troll or people just bored on the toilet but still encouragement from strangers for my actions it made me feel a little bit better about the situation given my mom had grounded me for a week after I punched him before hugging me And laughing about it. </p><p>I didn’t see Fletcher when I slid into the room because I ended up right next to one of the big dressers right outside the door and Duncan came sliding after me at full speed the last thing I remembered was smashing headfirst into the dresser and old Mahogany thing and regaining consciousness about five minutes later with the coach standing over me and the rest of the baseball players for the tournament scattering into varies hallways.</p><p>Needless to say we all got in a lot of trouble they couldn’t find most of us for the hotel damage because they didn’t know which one of us had actually built the slip and slide no one snitched remarkably , The Boston team was really lucky with that. But I got a trip to the doctor that morning and my mom worrying In the waiting room while they did a full CAT scan and work up since I had lost consciousness I had a concussion a mild one but since we lost I just had to go home and not whack my head for a week or two I was dizzy and I had some light sensitivity but no nauseousous thankfully, There was a teddy bear with a box of chocolates and and I’m sorry note written and signed by the Boston team waiting in front of my hotel room door when mom brought me back to the room to pack. </p><p>It was kind of funny if I didn’t want to punch Adrian again since he didn’t bother to close the damn door before building a slip and slide everyone used. But it was life I got hurt we lost the World Series and we didn’t re-claim the title it was my last year playing at least in that league I had aged out by the time the next season rolls around.</p><p>Mom and I along with the rest of my team went back to Raleigh North Carolina disheartened at the loss but cheered on by the locals because hell we made the national tournament and there was a highlight of me hitting a home run At the bottom of the third. And Duncan making a quick toss from second all the way to home plate that I caught and got the player out just in time at the bottom of the fourth. We played our hearts out but we still lost the Japanese team was really good this year it was insane how competitive everything was. And it was a hell of a game just a pain in the ass to swallow the loss. No one especially at 12 likes to lose a game let alone at their favorite sport on national television.</p><p>By the time my concussion that healed school has started and I started getting potatoes in the mail like a random spuds with messages like see you next year and avocados are natures projectiles I knew that handwriting it matched the note on the teddy bear.</p><p>Adrian fucking Fletcher was a weirdo I was sure of it and entertaining one but still a weirdo I have no idea how he got my address but those potatoes had a return one on it so I did with any girl would do given my resources access to mom’s credit card with $100 limit and unencumbered access to the Internet.</p><p>I ordered a glitter bomb with audio attachments that sounded like The mating cry ever Galapagos turtle, Yes I opted for the liquid ass spray function on the glitter bomb and ordered it for expedient delivery.</p><p>Two Week later I got a package of Skullcandy in the mail With a note attached a postcard writing that quoted The art of war like he actually cited the source and everything they must’ve been teaching his six grade class how to do MLA formatting or something.. It made me laugh for a minute before the meaning really registered along with the sign on the candy there was glitter stuck to the postage and I couldn’t help but grin wickedly.. The candy and the postcard sent a simple message this means war and I couldn’t help but look forward to it. That asshole from Boston was turning out to be somewhat entertaining, Mom wouldn’t let me sign up for baseball again after my concussion so I needed a new hobby.</p><p>While dad worked on getting me back onto the baseball diamond. He promised it would only take a few months to persuade mom really I had my fingers crossed on that , I had taken up swimming in the meantime instead plotting would take up some of the summer months as well.</p><p>The paint bomb that showed up on my birthday was a nice touch in retaliation my hair was neon green for nearly a week after that in retaliation for vengeance for my lovely gold curls being this merged with vomit green paint I reached out to Adrians younger sister on Instagram, We coordinated everything including the duct tape and tinfoil being attached to the baseboards of his room when he was away with his dad for a fishing weekend I sent her an industrial container of catch-up and it was simple enough Adrian sister was rather creative duck taping the tin foil To the baseboards and spreading the condiment over them less than an hour before he and his dad showed up with a couple of salmon and some new fish and stories his younger sister even took the lightbulb out of his room so that when he went up to go to bed he would open his door with nothing to see what we have done. He slid through it in an instant every time he tried to get up he just slid further into the room on the catch-up in tinfoil slip and slide we had installed on every inch of his bedroom floor it was totally worth it she sent me a picture of the result. Look up shock on her brothers face Adrian didn’t expect that kind of retaliation, He thought he was safe in Boston besides mailing packages I had a co-conspirator in the city that I was taking full advantage of. It was sweet sweet vengeance and according to Jamie Adrian sister the nefarious girl that she was his room smelled like ketchup for months even after they cleaned it up.</p><p>The mariachi band that turned up to follow me to school right after Labor Day was comeup ends enough, I dealt with the musical band gracefully and I know for a fact a video got posted do YouTube I got a note the next day asking if I liked salsa music. I mailed Adrian a case of queso dip and Had it delivered by a singing telegram operator named Sharon who built it out macho man at the top of her lungs one of his neighbors recorded it it was hilarious.</p><p>Mom finally came around to letting me back on the baseball diamond when October hits but for some reason she refused to let me try out for the boys team I had to play softball instead that lasted a grand total of half a season before the coach basically refused to let me onto the diamond he got into an argument with my mom and I was back playing baseball again this time for my middle school team instead of the little league tournament.</p><p>With school friends and random essays from middle school, Adrian was kind of pushed to the back of my head he was the random guy from Boston who on occasion sent me weird packages I had a plunger mailed to his house for Christmas with a note that said just in case he got too full of shit to function.</p><p>The prince became a little bit less consistent as the year Wore on. It was unexpected entertainment when somethings showed up and Adrian eventually by the time the next year around was just a fond memory of an asshole who live down in Local legends at Nye middle school Because of the gentleman dressed as a sumo wrestler he had deliver pizza anchovies and garlic to my math class during fifth period right before Christmas.  I couldn’t help it I had a group of volunteer firefighters that my dad knew in Boston turn up to the middle school he went to with sushi and caricatures of Richard Nixon one day in retaliation. </p><p>The firefighters all had their faces painted like tigers and one of them were a fat suit under baseball uniform.</p><p>Things were interesting for a while but Baseball season picked up in the spring And that was more important than anything going on with some guy from Boston.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jo ‘s POV<br/>Somewhere between the vacuum sealed bricks of flour labeled cocaine UPSEd to my house( Care of Boston of course )With a few narcotics detective following behind and the jury rigged drone are used to Flower bomb Adrian right before his school picture day things got a little bit more complicated.</p><p>The authorities started taking notice By the time eight grade rolled around. The local police department gave my mother a citation the day the 20 foot tall wacky inflatable flailing arm waving to man appeared on our front lawn, Along with the customary postcard signed with love from Adrian. And the local sheriffs department in Raleigh North Carolina started doing standard Drive by At Adrians because I set up a revolving poker tournament with the major players on his front lawn is technically illegal if it wasn’t for charity at least from the video his younger sister sent me posted to Instagram their mom nearly head and Adrian spent two weeks in his room without a door knob or a lock or really the entire door.</p><p>The only thing that was really creepy about that video was the fact Adrian was just laughing, Particularly when he found my signature the card with a crossed baseball bat and glove with the skull above it no signature. </p><p> A girl had to have style after all and it wasn’t a good idea to give the authorities in a different state a name they could research. Unlike Adrian I knew how do use a VPN and I had a bit of help at least from His sister my mole on the inside.</p><p>Eighth grade besides the occasional pranks is pretty standard I got my first boyfriend Isaiah Larson, And had my heart broken when I caught him kissing Amber Montgomery behind the gymnasium. I’m kind of channeled Adrian for a moment and left a bucket full of yeast in water basically proofing bread in his locker during passing period  Before we all went home for the day. The next day Thursday we came in To a hallway spelling of cinnamon and uncooked bread the dough had kind of expanded dramatically out of the gratting  of Isaiahs locker The administration was convinced he had done it himself thankfully so I didn’t experience any repercussions and he had to clean it up himself it wasn’t too bad but his box smelled like a bakery for the rest of the semester totally worth it especially considering Amber Montgomery hated the smell of bread and dumped him a week later. Justice if I do say so myself.</p><p>By the time the end of the year rolled around I got called into the guidance office to have a meeting with the vice principal and my mother I didn’t know what it was about but when we sat down Mrs. Leibowitz started throwing around words like talented ,gifted ,and advanced mathematics She gave my mother pamphlets for magnet math and science schools high schools that had entrance exams and full ride scholarships. Mrs. Leibowitz was under the impression I had a straight a average, Which was complete nonsense considering I barely passed earth science when I open my mouth to correct the situation my mother give me a reprimanding glance And I got quiet I could push my luck with some things but it was better to just let this meeting happen and then talk to mom afterwards whatever was going on they didn’t have my right grades in the system.</p><p>And then I got the letter with the postcard over A sketch of an old school report card signed with love from Adrian.. This time with a PS.... See you at the shipyard, Trust me you’ll love Boston.</p><p>And my gut kind of filled with dread.</p><p>One of the pamphlets the one that promised a full ride scholarship the vice principal had given my mother was for a school called Bishop’s Academy for Mathematics and nautical sciences. It was a math and science magnet school with its own research vessel and satellite system the tracked weather systems, And conducted physics and ecological research for students in high school the stuff they had access to was somethings even graduate students at some universities didn’t get access to until their post doctoral fellowship. The school had a partnership with NASA according to the pamphlet it was for the future engineers and researchers of America. Mom had taken that particular pamphlet upstairs muttering about the $40 application fee and talking to dad. She had even smiled before walking away before I could mention anything related to the mixup with my grades.</p><p>This was bad... This was so so bad.</p><p>Specially when I scrambled to look at the pamphlet after mom and put it on the kitchen table, The school started not in September like normal schools but in early June what they called freshman orientation to let the kids get to know each other the pamphlet proclaimed,,, That meant two weeks at most for me to fix the situation... fuck... I ran upstairs to pull out my old papers but everything was missing my backpack from this year most of my grades the binder my English teacher made us make to keep track of everything just in case there was any discrepancy everything was missing and in its place was a stuffed animal with a baseball cap and a smiley face button attached to it. The teddy bear wore a Boston Red Sox uniform end it looked so innocuous I couldn’t help it I chucked it against the freaking wall, In my rage.. That fucking asshole had hacked my grades.</p><p>Shit went to a whole Nother level.</p><p>One I never expected. </p><p>So I did the only thing I could I started researching that minute and sent a gay stripper dressed as Santa and a small segment of the local Mormon Tabernacle choir that was located in Boston Massachusetts after a small donation courtesy of the trust left to me by my grandmother to Adrian’s current residence.</p><p>The incident and resulting kerfuffle made the national news it was entertaining to say the least the The legion of Santa strippers versus the Mormon Tabernacle Choir became a meme, They called it the Santa riots of Boston and the image of Adrian and a few of his friends looking dumbfounded when he answered the front door to a choir Singing amazing Grace while a Dozen stripper grams Dressed as Santa Claus aggressively generated on their doorstep, Was a thing of beauty.</p><p>But what really annoyed me was the fact that when the news cameras came there was a poster board in the window that said Joe.. See you at the shipyard next week..With just an a as a signature next to it.</p><p>That fucking bastard he didn’t even let me win in that moment.</p><p>And he got exactly what he wanted my mom wouldn’t hear of changing plans the school had already administered the entrance exam to the incoming class but because of my teachers recommendations and And glowing reviews from alumni people apparently I had already met who I didn’t even remember even though I told my mother that she didn’t believe me she insisted they were probably old teachers or someone’s parents who didn’t want to share the good news I had a full ride scholarship including room and board and a small stipend for expenses spending money so I could fit in with the other students mom was so excited I didn’t even know what the hell I could do I suck at math I would fail out of the school in a year let alone, and glowing reviews from alumni people apparently I had already met who I didn’t even remember even though I told my mother that she didn’t believe me she insisted they were probably old teachers or someone’s parents who didn’t want to share the good news I had a full ride scholarship including room and board and a small stipend for expenses spending money so I could fit in with the other students mom was so excited I didn’t even know what the hell I could do I sucked at math I would fail out of the school in a year let aloneBeing thousands of miles from home and away from my friends when I told mom I didn’t wanna go she started crying those dramatic tears only mothers can and dad gave me a reprimanding look I was fucked.</p><p>I was going to school I never even heard of based on grades I didn’t get, Because of some fucking asshole in Boston that I’ve been having a long distance prank war with since we were 11. Now more than ever I couldn’t resist the urge to punch Adrian in the nose again.</p><p>I was going to fucking Boston.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrian’s POV</p><p>Personally I don’t think I can be entirely for responsible for the beginning of the prank war between  Devereux and myself. The kiss on national television sure I was a kid we are prone to stupid decisions. But that other shit after the slip and slide incident well that was just more form of acting out I mean who the hell tells a 12 year old that their mother isn’t coming home on the night of their biggest victory so far in the Little League world series for the second time. </p><p>The deputy director of NASA Thomas hart , That’s who.</p><p>His name is ironic enough given his actions. I don’t think he anticipated a 12-year-old swearing at him in Russian, Must’ve been surprising to him that I was fluent I had to help mom study for it when she was trying to get admission to the space program, When I was seven. And like most kids I was an information sponge when I was little so the language just kind of stuck.</p><p> </p><p>What Deputy Director heart didn’t inform me or my sister of was the fact that family notification was being recorded and was going to be televised on every national news station eclipse in my victory in the World Series to remind me constantly that day that my mother was missing on another planet 3,000,000 miles away.</p><p>Needless to say as a 12-year-old I wasn’t great with dealing with my emotions so I did the only thing I can think of which was the default setting for most boys my age, I wanted to fuck some stuff up. My friends on the game thankfully convince me that trashing the hotel room wasn’t the best option so after some well-timed crying from one of the girls that was on our team we had three of them compared to Devereux and that’s it from any of the others. Baseball was a no contact sport mostly, There should’ve Been more of them in my opinion. But Sarah with her well-timed waterworks managed to convince one of the bellhops to let us take the service elevator down to the basement to the pool supplies storage area along with the mini shampoo bottles they kept for toiletries in the hotel now a bunch of 12-year-olds caring several baskets full of mini shampoos And some industrial size pool learning materials giant plastic sheeting like tarps might raise a few eyebrows but most of the adults were well aware that the kid who just found out their mom was on another planet incommunicado abandoned by her team without any additional explanation was staying in the hotel with them so I think they turned a blind eye to this particular activity.</p><p>No one likes seeing a kid cry especially not one that had their parents disappear on them in the middle of a baseball tournament that’s basically like punching Uncle Sam in the balls, I think for the nation in that moment I was the all American boy from New England who just lost his mom, During the Little League World Series my coach had been fielding calls most of the day from everyone from the owner of the Red Sox, To my aunt Barbara who hadn’t spoken to mom since I was three I had a bad drug habit and I told him I didn’t want to talk to anyone he just nodded and started playing intermediary quite well in the Fact Given his history is a short stop.</p><p>So we had set up a giant slip and slide with some shampoo and industrial pool learning and then had a party and for some overwhelming reason I wanted to see Deveraux as if her presence would somehow make it easier to bear the absence of my mom. I didn’t know where the fuck in the cosmos my mother was but I knew Devereux was in the building so I kind of told The guys to go ahead hunting while one of the dudes from Brazil had brought some kind of foaming Equipment used in his mom’s kitchen that had laughing gas canister in it he was filling it with balloons and offered me one of them. </p><p>So I spent that evening mixing my time between one of our hotel rooms that my team had rented the one Sarah and Nicole were sharing with the rest of my teammates passing around balloons filled with laughing gas you had to make sure you breathe after a couple seconds there wasn’t any oxygen in the rubber Mylar balloon and taking turns barreling headfirst into the slip and slide it was more slippery At the end closer to where I was with the hotel room then where the line was it was interesting we stuck a couple boxes at the end of the hallway to catch people but by the time the line really got started the padding had pretty much been decimated within an hour we had a couple people going headlong into the room we were discussing stacking pillows when Devereux Kind of interrupted the conversation by sliding headfirst full speed into the hotel room she stopped or was stopped by the Massive antique set of drawers next to the doorway some thing we had tried to move but realized it was too heavy for us to manage I got up to try and help her and not one second later another guy I didn’t recognize came barreling after and Devereaux got her head bashed against the furniture due to the force of the guys slide. </p><p>Let me tell you head wounds bleed a disturbing amount when you’re moderately high off of laughing gas 12 dealing with the loss of your mother or temporary loss of your mother and you see the girl that for some reason you desperately wanted to talk to given the situation get her head bashed against a piece of furniture and start bleeding and be unresponsive it’s fucking terrifying but you managed to shake yourself out of it. A couple people are screaming but your team captain Andrew manages to keep his shit together while you fall towards Devereux he started issuing weird orders clearing out the hotel room telling the Brazil kid to take his balloons and go back to his room which he does with his three teammates very quickly and then you hear the commotion in the hallway your teammates and some of the kids from New York are ripping down plastic quickly and everyone in the line is scattering by the time Sarah who remained sober mostly was calling the front desk For an ambulance the nights activities had been cleared away in minutes most likely heaps of plastic shoved into hotel bathrooms to be found the next morning or hidden away by helpful adults who had turned a blind eye to it and feared being held responsible for not stepping in and stopping the children who knows.</p><p>They were there in a few minutes Deveraux was conscious again by then Though a little shaky one of the kids from Berlin 12 years old had a first aid kit That had only been brought at the insistence of his Hypochondriac grandfather. I can honestly say I never thought I would be grateful for aN elderly medically paranoid German fellow Then I was in that moment. Nicole Andrew the German kid Who’s name I later found out was Klaus and I cleaned up the blood as best We could Be for coach came barreling down the hallway to see what was going on we gave him the information and he sent One of the guys down to get Devereaux’s coach just as the Ambulance arrived the paramedics took her and I had a horrific sleepless night.</p><p>By the next morning half the people in the hotel had packed on the buses and I caught a glimpse of Devereaux with her head bandaged Be conscious Walking onto a Greyhound bus headed for North Carolina, For some reason it gave me a great deal of relief as if both Deveraux being fine and my mother missing but alive were tied together Somehow like the fact I knew Deveraux was fine Meant my mom would be as well.</p><p>The police didn’t really investigate it that thoroughly, Everything was chopped up to youthful indiscretion, And a high stress situation I’ve never been more grateful for national guilt in my life after all NASA had lost my mom so I guess the country felt like they owed me one or at least the police chief of Pensacola Florida felt that way in that moment.</p><p>The media circus that was waiting for me back in Boston and my sister when she got back from drama camp the day after was ridiculous a federal judge from my home state of Massachusetts actually issued a restraining order on behalf of miners me and my sister to keep the press off our parents property. Now here’s where things started to become a problem, Our mom was our legal guardian her personal assistant Jackie was supposed to be her legal guardian while she was in space for the next year and a half They had managed to knock down The space travel time between the earth and mars to nine months she was only supposed to spend two weeks on the red planet organizing a resupply mission before returning with a few exchange crew Members to allow for the Martian colony to still function.  Instead the largest sandstorm in the recorded history we had of the Martian planet which was really a century old Of meteorological satellite data ripped through the Red Sands of the planet. Moms crew was decimated three men dead only three left on the shuttle the others were believed lost 17 astronauts including my mother.</p><p>But she was the only one with kids that didn’t have a legal guardian because Jackie took off. And that was where aunt Barbara came in or at least she wanted to, Aunt Barbara had a Coke problem and had been bouncing out of correctional facilities since I was 5, I remember going to Visit her with mom at Fort Worth County when I was a little kid it was a memorable experience she kept shaking from withdrawal never seen someone so  Twiggy before that or since. </p><p>And with all the stress the panic my sister crying every night and me not sleeping trying to make sure she was all right even at my age while a social worker camped out in our living room due to the national media Attention we were afforded special privileges I guess we got to stay in our own home rather than being swept into the foster system because the eyes of the world we’re kind of on us the Martian orphans at least that’s what the press called us, So I couldn’t help it I started acting out to deal with the stress and the only healthy way I could think of that wasn’t really healthy I have to say I had a weird little obsession with Devereaux back then I had connected her survival with my mothers possible existence and survival in my head it was a weird time and I was 12 it was all kind of fucked up. So I started sending her potatoes in the mail and some other harmless stuff just something that I found entertaining and made me laugh enough to take my mind off of everything it was harmless really. But as the months Wore With no word from mom or NASA really besides the standard we’re working on it update things started escalating a little I hopped a train To North Carolina with two of my teammates Kyle and Nathan my two best friends and we pulled a prank on  Devereuxit was a 20 hour trip One way in the middle of summer so it wasn’t freezing thankfully we got there at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon so we had to kill a bunch of time chucking rocks across the lake And talking to a couple of the Train dudes we ran into along the way until it was nightfall and we could actually do it we came to do all in all it was about a four day excursion and by the time we got back there was an Amber alert out for all three of us. Remarkably it was Andrew that saved our asses again and with that he kind of cemented himself into our group of friends he had moved to Boston The year previous and become captain over some team objections he was a good captain and a good friend the fact he managed to convince his parents through a lot of guilt and probably pity given the situation with mom to cover our asses and claim through some backdating emails that his dad orchestrated as a tech wizard that his mom had taken us to their cabin in the foothills in the Catskills for a few days of summer. My social worker had actually blushed when the explanation was offered and she tried to explain why she had filed the report with the cops when she had an email sitting in her inbox and a return stating she had granted permission.</p><p>It was embarrassing more than anything else but no one was prosecuted thankfully they take a better safe than sorry stance  at least in New EnglandWhen it comes to missing kids and by that time my sister and I had cemented ourselves using Instagram and some other news networks as “ America’s orphans”, We were kind of seen as America’s kids the missing children of a brave hero lost in the line of duty on Mars NASA ate it up.. We just fucking missed mom and wanted her back but the media attention kept the country focused and her disappearance fresh in the new cycle they were still looking for her due to national media pressure so we kept it going I fucking hated the attachment but it was necessary if we ever wanted to see mom again I hoped.</p><p>I started 7th grade that year  and Devereaux finally retaliated, That was win the war really started it was glorious and then my sister, Charlotte got in on the action she was Devereaux’s second pair of hands since she couldn’t travel to Boston to retaliate the drone piloted flower bomb Had Charlotte written all over it it made my sister laugh again it was a glorious and well worth having to shower before picture day again.</p><p>By the time my seventh grade year ended our prank war had escalated and it became the needed distraction that I so craved given all the stress in life, Deveraux became the break we both needed from reality and our living situation the social worker and the city of Boston had gotten tired of paying at the expense of having her sleep on the couch every night so they were trying to move us into a foster home that a law firm had thankfully objected to and we had quite a few people volunteering to be a legal guardians we ended up with Nicholas Cloverfield, The second baseman for the Boston Red Sox and  his wife Marianne Taking us in , turns out The fact I had kept appealing to the world of baseball for help had kind of stuck out so they were good people actually bought the house next to our moms in the historical district of Boston so we wouldn’t have to move they worked out a system with some security cameras and a discrete contractor to build a hallway connecting the two properties we got to stay in our own rooms and they just kept an eye on us they were good people with three kids of their own well younger than me and Charlotte two five and seven to be precise. They were loud rambunctious and a welcome distraction even if they were a little annoying when doing science homework, Nicolas Cloverfield became kind of a pseudo-uncle and his wife Marianne was the kind aunt we had always wanted. Aunt Barbara got arrested in Pennsylvania before I started eighth grade for cocaine trafficking she ended up Being sentenced to a dime in a federal facility. The Cloverfield didn’t make us go to the court hearings and kind of the whole situation just petered out the judge dismissed the case and well it had been almost 2 1/2 years by then with no sign of alarm for the other astronauts so they had a military funeral for her USS Star bringer The Air Force vessel used to retrieve the space shuttle being retrofitted to offer a 21 gun salute in moms honor in Boston harbor. We got dragged to the White House so that the president could present us with mom’s metal, Mom was a Career Air Force officer so she was awarded the medal of valor and the distinguished flying Cross not sure why the second I didn’t ask any questions it just kind of sucked when  The honor guard gave us the flag that was over mom’s coffin, The pranks I pulled on Devereux that year were Nothing less than elaborate the Cloverfield had pretty much adopted us at that point I had access to a trust fund thanks to Nicolas so an Uber from Boston to North Carolina took a hell of a lot less time than a train ride I could be back if it was pulled on a Friday night and I told the Cloverfield I was going to Andrews or Kyles I would be back Sunday morning with the boys after pulling an epic prank On Devereux the previous night. After the third time the local authorities got involved and the Cloverfield started sending me andCharlotte to therapy , While the adoption proceedings started. The Cloverfield were  good people, Brilliant foster parents but that didn’t change the fact that we both missed our biological parent, mom was mom. And me missed her. Plus  the prank we’re starting to get a little out of hand when the cop showed up, Things might have gotten dangerous if The authorities hadn’t interrupted the prank war across state lines it’s still continued but much safer version I actually thought about the possible health and safety dangers associated with any prank after that. And high school started I kept smiling every time I thought of the mariachi band and dear God the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Santa stripper competition on the front lawn had gotten national media attention again, I will never think of Christmas the same way again especially with amazing Grace playing in the background it was hilarious the Cloverfield even found it funny. We had a Santa on the mantle year-round with a pole super glued to the base of it in memorial of the incident.</p><p>And it was well worth the retribution to have Deveraux at the same school I attended, This long-distance prank war was entertaining but it kind of felt wrong every time we started talking about Devereaux that she was in a different state than the rest of us. By this point she was the closest thing Charlotte had to a best friend and it was strange, With the guys we all kind of thought of Devereux has one of us by then our crazy distance friend That should be with the rest of us for this next mile stone. So we had hacked her school main frame and gotten her grades changed, The Cloverfield lawyer had actually laughed when I asked about establishing a trust for a scholarship program for girls in the sciences in honor of my mother since the trust fund the Cloverfield had establish for me and Charlotte was ridiculous they consented to it for what they thought was a nice memorial to our mothers memory. </p><p>And of course the first recipient hadn’t even applied for it, It was Josephine Devereaux of the great state of North Carolina.</p><p>I couldn’t help but smile when I cut side of her and her parents touring the campus.</p><p>The murderous look she shot in my direction when I passed by her on my way to the atrium I just couldn’t help it I winked at her.  Andrew and I had to book it towards the atrium when she started chasing after us.</p><p>Yeah it was totally worth it.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jo’s POV</p><p>Mom didn’t even let me pack really she was so excited and she ignored everyone of my objections. The terms of the scholarship were ludicrous in my opinion, I mean literally they handed me $30,000 for “ A school appropriate wardrobe”... Apparently the shipyard had an icebreaker butt off but off a retired Soviet Colonel or Admiral took the students up to the Arctic Circle around the coast of Alaska or up through Norway every season for weeks there were a list of ridiculously expensive scientific equipment that had to be purchased along with proper clothing my mother nearly Had a heart attack when she had to Google a few of the pieces who has to pay $1400 for a meter that measures lumens And different levels of voltage. My dad laughed when he saw the third piece of equipment or article of clothing that recommended Canada goose as a reputable brand that was like walking around with a sign that said “please mug me“ Anywhere else but apparently a rich magnet school for science nerds was the place where it was standard operating procedure. Dad actually called the school thankfully just to confirm this was a real mom didn’t bother to she was just too excited and my heart sank when dad spoke to the headmaster because of it of course a place like the school wouldn’t have a principle that was to Main stream for a prep school.</p><p>It was utterly ridiculous and I spent half my time arguing with my mom that I didn’t want to go the other half with my friends complaining and a few brief moments frantically googling how the fuck I was going to pass the math classes they had on the website. Advanced linear algebra, applied mathematics, They offered calculus to freshman if you could place into it. </p><p>And on midnight on the third day of this ridiculousness I ordered 40 pounds of raw fish to be shipped to Adrian’s house opting not to have it packed with dry ice from Bangladesh. It would wreck by the time it reached his doorstep not much of a prank but some minorly decent vengeance.</p><p>I sent a text apologizing to Charlotte for the incident after I got off notification a few days later that the package had been delivered. </p><p>By the time the rotten fish had gotten to Boston my mother had the spare room packed to the gills with everything I could possibly need for school I didn’t want to attend, But I was kind of resigned to it by then. Dad has been talking about taking a job as a traveling contractor during hurricane season since I was going to boarding school and mom was talking about staying with my aunt in New Haven because I wouldn’t be here would help with the finances apparently since they didn’t need to stay in one place if their kid was on a different time schedule in a different state.</p><p>I didn’t realize I had the time but my parents were starting to look at this like a blessing rather than a curse from my perspective.</p><p>Dad left for San Antonio during hurricane season as a contractor and electrician for FEMA two days before mom loaded up the car and drove us from Raleigh North Carolina up to Boston Massachusetts or at least what I thought was. turned out bishops. shipyard The school I was going to be attending was on the outskirts of the city on some all the estate that have been donated Buy a 19th-century Industrialist, 6000 acres of land on prime Massachusetts real estate took up a significant portion of the undeveloped area close to Boston Harbor and some of the portion of the land on an independent harbor a little ways away.</p><p>It was insane driving into it the entire place had a 40 foot trench dug into it around the base of the fence right iron with the only paved road going toward it the only thing around for miles with signs pointing in the direction of the school as we drove out of the city limits further into what looks like untouched wilderness one of the few places in New England with old growth forest.</p><p>A little pocket of wilderness Rider Wright’s off the most industrialized area in the United States the contrast was insane my mother kept beeping at me every time we saw a deer or if I missed that a bobcat or a cougar possibly. Great Oaks Elms and maple trees that darted the landscape dotted the landscape Created a picture a scene picture picture picture ask seen as we drove through the only paved road to see the city of Boston and on the opposite bake the town of Cambridge started to grow a bit distant. My mother started to worry we might have gotten the date wrong since we were the only car visible on the road about a mile into the driveway we finally got to a gate with the guard posted he asked for my name and my mothers name mom started saying she thought she got the date wrong before giving her name Deveraux the guy checked a paper on the clipboard and smiled at us and Reassuring my mother that no we had the correct time and place but most students opted to fly in to the schools airport on campus as most of the kids opted to take flying lessons during the fall semester. That particular thing hadn’t been on the website but my mother started beaming about it until the security guard mentioned before he open the gate students had a fly their own place or at least provide them so that particular opportunity was not an option.</p><p>TheGuard Even looks a bit sympathetic when he asked if I was a scholarship student As the gates swing open and when I nodded just as mom hit the Excelerator he looked a bit sad when he said I thought so good luck kid.</p><p>If that reaction didn’t bode well for my time here I don’t know what did.</p><p>We met the headmaster at the administration building the letter I received directed us towards mom parked in one of the only two spaces marked for visitors and we went in we were particularly early it was about 9 AM and the headmaster was in his office. He looked surprised to see my mother before saying the scholarship student orientation for freshman wasn’t until 11 but he could take us on a tour for commencement and the address so we got a guided tour around campus apparently I had missed the first welcome event two weeks previous before the end of the last term there were kids wandering around already in uniform in June he said some thing about upperclassman staying on campus quite frequently for summer seminars and He looked surprised to see my mother before saying the scholarship student orientation for freshman wasn’t until 11 but he could take us on a tour for commencement and the address so we got a guided tour around campus apparently I had missed the first welcome event two weeks previous before the end of the last term there were kids wandering around already in uniform in June he said some thing about upperclassman staying on campus quite frequently for summer seminars andInternships while quite a lot of freshmen were already so Milyer with the shipyard familiar with the shipyard having older siblings that attended.</p><p>As we passed the library that the headmaster pointed out I caught a few faces in the crowd two of which were familiar from Little League and a few other incidents from my childhood Adrian fucking Fletcher and one of his cohort from his team I think a kid named Andrew or Andy something like that walked past me already in uniform I couldn’t help it when Fletcher smirked at me I went after him or at least I tried to my mother caught the back of my hood of my sweatshirt when I barely got three steps from her As we passed the library that the headmaster pointed out I caught a few faces in the crowd two of which were familiar from Little League and a few other incidents from my childhood Adrian fucking Fletcher and one of his cohort from his team I think a kid named Andrew or Andy something like that walked past me already in uniform I couldn’t help it when Fletcher smirked at me I went after him or at least I tried to my mother caught the back of my hood of my sweatshirt when I barely got three steps from herAnd drag me along with the headmaster the man didn’t even notice the mouth motion but I heard distinctive Lassetter behind me laughter behind me fucking Adrian.</p><p>I’d have to deal with him later.</p><p>The asshole was the only reason I was here, Involuntarily instead of starting the summer with my friends and going to Saint Sebastian’s like I wanted to back in Raleigh in September.</p><p> </p><p>The headmaster had started talking to my mother about academic rigor of the school and the fact no tutoring was actually offered to the students the shipyard had a sink or swim mentality when it was established they wanted students to figure out for themselves how to thrive in an academic environment to build their own network of resources so if they needed help they had to approach another student or a faculty member and ask for it which if it was asked for help was provided but it forced people out of their shells supposedly.</p><p>If My anxiety Over the academic challenges of the school had been high enough already that just cemented it this was a place for crazy smart kids not an average student that didn’t like math or science. The headmaster had seen my expression scene and he patted me on the shoulder reassuring me that he had seen my grades and that I would do fine here that I was an exemplary student from a public school system that would thrive here perfectly since particularly since apparently my advisers had written I was a gifted scientist in the making which just filled me with even more dread I could barely remember the steps to photosynthesis, Let alone gel electrophoresis.</p><p>I was going to fail out of here and my mother would give me a look of disappointment that would haunt me for the rest of my days.</p><p>And the only person I could blame was Adrian fucking Fletcher, So I did mentally over and over again especially when we approach the dorms and saw people unloading my suitcases the headmaster explained they had staff to set up the students rooms and that the sweets or coed so everyone had their own room and bathroom with a lock on the door so that was slightly reassuring though the thought of sharing a common room with boys in addition to strangers Was slightly less reassuring when my mother raised a slight objection or concern the headmaster explained that students were given a great deal of freedom and expected to act independently and responsibly that even at 14 we needed to grow as individuals so the school put a great deal of trust in all of us and expected honor code to be Enforced.</p><p>What it sounded like to me was a bunch of students with minimal supervision and possible access to blow torches and soldering iron’s as well as chemicals and basically anything that was a scientist daydream would be living in the dorm buildings boys and girls it sounded like Lord of the flies waiting to happen or insanity but I guess it was better than having a matron or your parents breathing down your neck every evening.What it sounded like to me was a bunch of students with minimal supervision and possible access to blow torches and soldering iron‘s as well as chemicals and basically anything that was a scientist daydream would be living in the dorm buildings boys and girls it sounded like Lord of the flies waiting to happen or insanity but I guess it was better than having a matron or your parents breathing down your neck every evening</p><p>I saw other students wearing their school uniforms already looked about my age and the headmaster actually called out to a few of them before he mentioned to me that I must’ve missed part of the letter as I was supposed to show up on campus in uniform but that I can go and change without a problem he called over was a junior named Clarissa who was supposed to be my mentor for the first few weeks she looked like someone had shoved a skunk in her face when they The headmaster introduced us and then the man chose to drop a bomb that moment he said to my mother that she would need to leave from this point it was best for students to have a clean break to really get their feet wet and start the growth of independence immediately no parents on campus from this point not even for orientation or to help me unpack my room as we walked into the dorms the headmaster said he would wait out in the hall While we said our goodbyes.</p><p>Mom and I did the whole crying hug thing and then she was gone in an instant and I was standing before a room with my name on the door along with five others metal placards placards adorning the room room seven of Monmouth hall we were on the second floor of a three-story residence Hall and old Stone House that supposedly once had been The carriage house the main house being where most of the classroom door there were three dormitories for the freshman and then the main seven for the upperclassman. The names on the door were unfamiliar to me except for one Adrian Fletcher was the last name listed on the door mine was the third and I just wanted to hit some thing when I realized we would be rooming together kind of I walked in after putting my key in the lock and the room was breathtaking hardwood floors quality fancy oak furnishings that looked like some thing out of a movie for rich people decorations from the library the room looked more like A country see Lord study rather than a living room but there was a TV in the corner one of those fancy flat screens and a fireplace that was already wore roaring. My room was the third door on the left right off the little hallway and I opened it there was no deadbolt on my door just a flimsy standard lock on a chain for it but it looked decent enough it was pretty standard though I had a great view of the courtyard from my window the bed looked like solid oak a four poster with a comfortable mattress my stuff had already been unpacked and the bed made, The furniture looked original to the house carved high-quality moldings my posters were on the walls along with a Dutch  flag Had been hung on my wall decorations were close enough to what I had intended though the fairy lights weren’t strong up and there was a blackboard on my far wall stretching from floor to ceiling with chalk sitting on the mantle a box of it along with a study table lamp and plenty of books most likely a mini library like the brochure had promised from subjects rainy drink from the all purpose site guide to astronomy to fundamentals of physics and thermodynamics, Had been hung on my wall decorations were close enough to what I had intended though the fairy lights weren’t strong up and there was a blackboard on my far wall stretching from floor to ceiling with chalk sitting on the mantle a box of it along with a study table lamp and plenty of books most likely a mini library like the brochure had promised from subjects rainy drink from the all purpose site guide to astronomy to fundamentals of physics and thermodynamics and thermodynamics, There were also a few about literature play rights I had never heard of and philosophy and ethics.</p><p>I couldn’t really process it I just went to grab my uniform something I had never really bothered to examine when mom purchased it a black blazer with the school crest embroidered on the right breast a black and red border with a picture of a World War II aircraft carrier with a plane taking off of it and icebergs in the background a skull and crossbones was at the base of it and a raven sword overhead on the crust something in Latin I couldn’t decipher was written across the bottom And heavy brocade the uniform package had a pair of pants and a skirt with it the pants were black with red stripes down the side light but subtle and the other was the standard tartan black and red skirt you saw those Catholic high school students wear it included a choice of a red or a white shirt or a black one as well I went with the red simply because the blazer was black.</p><p>It could’ve been worse there was a card attached that said no heels were to be worn on campus a pair of black boots that looked comfortable enough or included they went up to my MidcaLF, They look like suede or maybe a high-quality and synthetic I couldn’t identify it but whatever I left my room slightly unsettled I couldn’t lock the door from the outside before grabbing my bag or at least the school bag that was required a black leather construction that was designed for mountaineering and an arctic temperatures it looked like a normal backpack to me at least, I had my wallet in student ID in it and I just walked out the door locking it behind me putting the key in the pocket of my skirt and I made my way to the building we had passed called the cathedral where freshman orientation was supposed to take place I got lost a few times but I managed it.</p><p>By the time I got there most of the other freshmen were already milling around walking into the building or talking with people they clearly They were already familiar with.</p><p>Just what anyone wants at a new school to be the new kid among newcomers they must have mostly gone to school together already simile elementary school or middle school perhaps. Great.</p><p>Just as I need to go up the steps I heard someone shouting my name behind me and lo and behold an arm went around my shoulders, You guessed it Adrian Fletcher beaming ear to ear with a shit eating grin he started shouting I found her and the next second five or six boys who are clearly his friends had gathered around us and introductions were made by someone I barely knew but had been waging a prank war against for the last few years.</p><p>A guy by the name of Andrew who I vaguely remembered having been on the same little league team is Adrian stayed across from me in the circle of unfamiliar faces then a boy named Kyle another William, Blake, Malcolm and Oliver completed their circle. They all looked about my age 14 all wearing the same uniform except for pants instead of this skirt I had opted for.</p><p>The boys intern had muttered muttered hello Or just nodded in my direction and acknowledgment of my existence and Adrians exit introductions, He arm around my shoulders tighten a bit When instead of the normal expectation of him removing it Adrian started talking again the subject they had clearly been on before he spotted me, Black Sabbath and the intricacies of the music.It was a band that wasn’t bad but not exactly my taste. Tried to shove off Adrian’s arm but instead he pulled me a bit closer I didn’t wanna make a scene on my first day but this was Fletcher so I elbowed him in the ribs hard enough he stopped talking and actually had to cough I was able to free myself from his embraced by then and two of his friends actually laughed.</p><p>Adrian looked at me for a second and then said,” So it’s going to be that way then all right Deveraux, If it’s like that. He looked at his friends again before saying, “ JoJo here is going to be a catcher this year.”</p><p>When I open my mouth to object as to what the hell he was talking about all six of the boys looked at me with interest and each of them had a shit in the ground eating grin.</p><p>Well fuck it I turned around and walked into the building not wanting to deal with them.</p><p>If they wanted me on some kind of team they have to wait and ask like anyone else.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>OK I’ve gotten a new idea for the story so I’m going to be rewriting it a bit my apologies for people who have started reading it and started to like the characters none of that’s changing I’m just taking the story from a different perspective the prank war in shenanigans still play out but it’s going to be from a slightly different perspective because the POV’s I’m using just aren’t working for how I want to tell the story.</p><p>Don’t worry Adrian will still get punched in the face on national television during game seven of the Little League World Series. The characters are just going to have a bit more coherent backstory I hope that’s helpful and I hope you enjoy the rewrite it’ll take me a few days but I think the story will be more cohesive and entertaining after I finish.</p><p>Thank you to everyone who is taking the time to read the story so far I’ve enjoyed writing it a great deal.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>High school sports are supposed to instill discipline teach sportsmanship and somehow provide teamwork skills that serve you later in life. That's what adults expect kids to learn when they enroll them in intermarriages soccer or encourage them to join the swim team. That's what they expect a 7th grader to take away from   Practicing Greco-Roman wrestling 5 days a week. No one expects Any practical applications for such things.</p><p>But it doesn't mean children don't learn them the practical applications I mean. And it's always in the strangest circumstances.  I highly doubt coach Peters was expecting one of his at leads to have to implement the tactics he taught us to escape from the bottom when Our parents decided it would be a wonderful idea to Chase a fistful of Benadryl with LSD and attempt a murder suicide pact by drowning their children in the bathtub before they succumbed to the drugs entirely.</p><p>I guarantee you coach Peters was in expecting for me to pull a reserval,  Commonly referred to as the switch On my stepfather when he tried to hold my head under water for the 2nd time that morning. </p><p>I was barely 13 but Joseph was and exactly in great shape an on again off again heroin user The guy was malnourished to say the least I dislocated his shoulder after that 1 forced his head against the bath tub spigot which was still running and bashed against it all in about 2 smooth maneuvers fucker was unconscious  Before water started overflowing.</p><p>I didn't bother shutting it off mom was already out like a light in the kitchen Amber was where I had put her under one of the kitchen cabinets next to the where we kept the back of cereal hidden from mom and  Joseph  So we always had something to eat.</p><p> My sister was really small for a Six-year-old I don't know if it was due to genetics or the fact our parents Neglected that particular class on the care and feeding of their offspring.</p><p>All I know in that moment was my nose was bleeding, And I needed to get us out of that apar<br/>Apartment safely I heard the water overflowing in the background so before I collected Amber I grabbed my wrestling bag still had my equipment in it shoved a couple changes of clothes for both of us what cash I had managed to save over the course of the last 8 years $238.68 in a sandwich bag small nonsense a non sequential bills, And our mothers lock Box which held our birth certificates something I had snatched when I was 11 when mom offered it up to a dealer who refused to take it as he wasn't in the identity theft business. That was when I learned my mother didn't give a shout about us before I thought she was just a negligent parent not actively in different.</p><p>I suppose you could call my actions Strange or  unemotional ,  But that's how I react to panic everything slows down  and I just become calm I deal with the situation as I can and cry about it later once the job is done.</p><p> The water was filling up the bathroom floor at this point spilling out into the kitchen when I got back in there to grab Amber I had no idea where the hell we could go but I just grabbed her hand and started walking helped her with her shoes and just kept going.</p><p>We were in Raleigh, North Carolina Where Joseph had chosen to squat my mother had followed we just kept walking I knew there was a bus Station about 3 miles from the apartment complex I had ridden are few times looking for a job before I realized no one was going to hire a 13 year old under-the-table not in this part of town.</p><p>So we kept going.<br/> Once we got to the little glass Box that was supposed to shelter people from the elements in the height of summer we sat down and waited an old lady was already there when we arrived she didn't really say much to us but she stuck out a thing of wet wipes towards me and said you're bleeding kid that was the extent of our conversation.</p><p>I thanked the old woman.  Last thing I needed in that situation was in infected head wound on top of Amber crying off and on again I  Have never been good <br/>Never been good at comforting someone else I did the best I could she stopped crying eventually when I told her we were going somewhere save I had no idea where the funk we could I had 200 bucks in my pocket and no destination in mind not like we had many options I couldn't go to coach's house not that I knew where it was at the time.</p><p>My best friend Zach wasn't an option his parents would call CPS and wash their hands of the situation patting themselves on the back for helping the poor souls that had turned up on their doorstep Amber and I would be separated for sure and I'd most likely never seen my little sister again so I cast my mind for any options and faint memories of a life nearly forgotten came to mind.</p><p>Of a warm house in the center California mountains, Of my grandmother helping me with my addition and gramps coming home parking the cruiser on the dirt drive and playing catch with me showing me how to throw a baseball for the 1st time.</p><p>I had no idea how we were going to get there I had no idea for grandparents were even still alive but I felt and and expected sense of determination. To get my little sister to the one place I knew that had been saved in my entire life.</p><p>The only geographic feature I could remember around my grandparents place was big sur. Along California highway one.</p><p>It was the only lifeline I could think of.</p><p>I waited for the bus with my little sister sitting next to me quietly crying. The old woman had already gotten on a bus so I couldn't remember or return her container of what wipes so I shoved in the bag I had slung over my shoulder.</p><p>The number 16 bus finally arrived and with a little bit of effort I pulled Amber on to the only form of transportation we could get ahold of.</p><p>The bus driver gave me the side eye but I just told him taekwondo practice hadn't gone well, And my little sister was afraid of blood that we needed to get home to my mother.</p><p>The Gray haired man behind the wheel just kind of nodded satisfied I think with th</p><p>The explanation and with that he took us from Raleigh out to Knoxville the end of the line.</p><p>It took 6 hours. By the time we got there they had change drivers twice we hid in the back behind the last row of seats  When the Gray haired man changed shifts where the middle aged woman with a neck tattoo shaped like a flower.</p><p>With that we were off again waiting until we hit the Knoxville bus depot and with that it was end of our free ride,  I had a student bus pass that could get me to and from at the Appemadix 'shigh school  Where I had started high school that summer.</p><p> When we got to the bus terminal I put my bag on one of the reserve seats I was big for 13 year old I could maybe pass for 16 if no one looked too closely.</p><p> Just the right age to claim Amber was a three-year-old she was small for her age as it was and that I had gotten a girl pregnant when I was my actual age. Teenage pregnancy was enough of a problem in the country that I had claimed teen pregnancy without too much of a problem and no one would ask too many questions or look much closer at my story I highly doubted mom would be issuing an Amber alert for us.</p><p>She probably thought she had sTraded us to her dealer for a brick of cocaine like when I was 10 spent 2 weeks in Argentina where the guy named Jose and his daughter Maria nice people they treated us well enough but  I know if mom hadn't paid up I would have been eating silver so would have Amber and it was an unsettling feeling even as a kid with that realization of my own mortality it was utterly terrifying I should have probably had their appii when I was that age but mom never gave a fuck so<br/> I kept my mouth shut and redoubled my efforts to protect my little sister.</p><p> What was that old Irish saying oh yeah life sucks.</p><p> The vending machines at the Knoxville bus terminal<br/> Looked the least sketchy I had seen in a while<br/> I manage to cobble together  A moderately substantial meal for my younger sister consisting of Apple juice and animal crackers </p><p>And some beef jerky that was 2 weeks from expiration that we split between us. It tasted alright enough. I settled Amber in one of the plastic seats next to my bag and Walked over to the ticket kiosk to look at what kind of damage we might be expecting the thing took cash at least so I could limit the amount of human exposure we had to deal with for this journey.</p><p>Lucky for me greyhound busses were cheap but that didn't make it free.</p><p> The little digital display screen in front of me happily informed me a bus ticket from Knoxville North Carolina to San Luis Obispo California was a $173 standard way where the $15 discount for a senior citizen and a $5 discount for a child.</p><p>I could only afford one ticket cash only 1 way.</p><p>So I did the best thing I could I bought the senior citizen ticket hoping no one working the bus the driver or whatever the greyhound version of the conductor was would bother to check it to with their early and then I paid for it cash upfront feeding the crushed bills into the silver and black mechanism that said it proclaimed it took fives tens and 20s but no hundreds of.</p><p> I had to smooth the bills against the sharp corner of the metal machine more than once to get them to accept them it had been months since they were curled up in that sandwich baggie I had in my wrestling gear. Shoved into the smelliest sweaty as part somewhere I knew Joseph would never touch.</p><p>Gone in an instant a lifetime of savings and it only got me to safety not Amber I had to think relatively quickly the bus didn't leave till morning so I had the night to Ruminate on a solution.</p><p>I slept fitfully with Amber leaning against my shoulder complaining on occasion but using my wrestling jacket as a blanket the one my friend Zach mom had bought for me so I wouldn't feel badd of not about not having 1 like the rest of the team.</p><p> Dawn approached with agonizing slowness we watched other busses come in-and-out an old woman and her grandchildren sat across from us she gave me to gra</p><p>I think she took pity on us for my situation we made the light conversation and I told her my sob story completely made up with Amber piping in calling me papa ones just to add to the dramatics my sister ever the young actoress she always followed my lead without question.</p><p> Something I was forever grateful in that moment the news was on the TV in the corner of the bus terminal the sound on little nothing was on about any missing children or an Amber alert issued just a shooting near Carrrrie Academy. Thank fuck.</p><p> No one had taken notice of our absence maybe the neighbors hadn't called about the flooding and just let it happen maybe mrs O'Neill was away on vacation God willing maybe her insurance would pay through the nose for any water damage here's hoping.</p><p> The older middle aged woman I had spoken to about my sob story actually bought us breakfast a couple granola bars and Orange juice the same thing she gave her own kids which was quite compassionate of her I have to admit I thanked her vehemently like someone with my fake sob story would have.</p><p>Our bus left at 7:01 a.m., We stopped at a McDonald's and about 2:00 p.m. somewhere on the Western edge of Tennessee I bought me an Amber some cheap burgers and a couple drinks of pop that were refillable thanks to some bored employees 4 bucks and 27 cents.</p><p> A quick use of the bathroom and back on the bus for another 10 hours until we hit Missouri. </p><p>The change of bus and as suspicious glance from a large driver named Rufus who I gave the stink eye to until he decided he really didn't want to deal with a situations for whatever reason they only checked my ticket never question the fact I had a kid with me thank fuck maybe it was a mercy. Maybe the woman we had been with bought more than one ticket for a kid when she realized I only had 1 she was with us until Saint Louis I didn't know when I didn't ask I just thanked whatever I could for that small amount of luck.</p><p>The only plan I had come up with was fake it till you Fake it till you make it because Amber couldn't fit in my bag and I couldn't carry her so that plan had gone out the window well before dawn.</p><p> We hit California after 48 hours a couple stops and bathroom legs small meals and awkward lunch's begging off a few scraps from people around us who I didn't know but was honestly grateful to pity was a wonderful thing and I felt like shipped for taking advantage.</p><p>But needs must especially when Amber came into the equation.</p><p>Life just sucks.</p><p>When will bridged the Sandy shores of central California one of the lesser known wine regions it was raining of course and it was 3:30 in the morning I had $12.03 in my pocket and no way in hell could I find a ride for that much so I did the only thing I could think of hitchhiked we got a ride from a guy In a truck modified to let a personnel we'll share drive it he was kind enough I barely remembered The vaguest name of my grandparents , Magnolia and  Walter mcknight.  I said them with a tone of desperation to the man who picked us up , The guy had raised an eyebrow at that but got quiet and said you mean the sheriff.</p><p>Over on moonstone and Pratchett... I didn't know but I said yes just because it gave us a general location.</p><p>The guy started looking me a bit more suspicious before asking who exactly I was I asked if he was a local he said yes relatively quickly enough and I told him Walters grandson.</p><p>The name that he said with this believe in his eyes was "Adrian"</p><p> A name I haven't heard since I was 7.</p><p>My real one mom Had always refused to call me anything but William.</p><p>But that wasn't this life it wasn't California and it wasn't the people who actually gave a ship as far as I could remember so I just nodded and told him we needed to get there the guy actually drove us without question after that glancing back almost suppressing a smile on occasion it was kind of creepy until I realized I recognized his nose and eyebrow scar from somewhere Carter Wilcox.</p><p>My childhood friend lukas </p><p>The father of my best  Friend from kindergarten,  I couldn't help it she those  Memories were still painful to think of given the last 72 hours.  So I just said what I could manage,  While my little sister gripped my hand  Tightly as if sharing my anxiety. "  I whispered, "  Thank you Mr. Wilcox for everythin"</p><p> When he pulled into the dirt drive he popped the lock's and said no problem son give me a call when whatever's going on is settled Luca will. wanna see you.</p><p> The White House was a fuckton larger than I wrote member.  With an old stone entrance carved white stone lions mining each side of the drive I couldn't even see the house really except off in the distance Mr. Wilcox said Walter didn't take kindly to people driving up he had to walk from here since his wheelchair wasn't exactly dirt road friendly he dropped us off as close as he could.</p><p>And then we started to walkThe driveway seemed like it was endless almost a mile before we reached what could be called a house that should be a really referred to as a many mansion one of those massive farmhouses where you're not quite sure if it's a Tech millionaire or someone who has too many oil Wells at their disposal might build and when we reached the door and there was tired she sat on the steps and I knocked the 1st time now and answered so I knocked again before I actually saw the doorbell half covered with dust and I rang it once twice 3 times and then I heard noise the door became unlocked and a man I hadn't seen in years stood before me with the same Gray eyes I had seen looking back at me in the mirror for years and ambers stubborn nose   The same one I had that had been broken more times than i could remember.</p><p>I couldn't help it I felt warm tears pricking at the edge of my eyes when I does looked at the man whose memory had been so painful I had suppressed it for nearly half my life and I said, "Pops"</p><p> Before he could say anything we heard a crash behind him something shattered and a woman came rushing</p><p>Came rushing forward with the same mahogany hair as my little sister... grams ...  Was hugging me before I could even get another word in.</p><p> She pulled back a moment later clearly looking for answers and had several questions before either them noticed Amber who had gotten up from the steps and was standing behind me I put an arm around her shoulders while she hid behind me and anxiously I made introductions I shouldn't have been nervous but I was gramma hugged her just as fiercely as she had hugged me a moment before and gramps he joined her hugging us both .  As if trying to anchor us to the Earth.</p><p>In that moment I let the stress wash out of my shoulders and I knew I was home and that we were both in the one place of safety I could remember.</p><p> We were back in Athens California.</p><p>===============================================</p><p>Things had no always been badd with mom before she met Joseph she was actually  Moderately functional member of society.  She would never have won any parent of the year contest but she  Made sure we had food on the table and a roof over our heads 90% of the time she didn't hug as or anything but I got to play little league when I was a kid at age 11 went to the World Series even at least the one in Pennsylvania.</p><p> We ended up losing trip to Japan in the end but coming in  2nd team was for the entirety of the world isn't pad though there are some things I regret from that period the fact mom met Joseph when I was at the tournament and some things I will never regret like my 1st kiss with the redhead who is playing catcher for Her home team from Boston a spit fire at least what I knew of one then  Named Andy deveraux cute as a button. And a girl I somehow fell in love with during game 7 in the 10 minutes I was running the bases.</p><p>I didn't have much game then so I was kind of the awkward 11 year old saying something about How the Andromeda Galaxy  Was the closest to around behind the mound after I just slid in to declare victory  A nano 2nd before she had the ball in her mitt i the umoer had just declared me safe.</p><p> And while the rest of my team was celebrating and freaking out I just stood there kind of awkwardly before she pulled off her mask and I just kind of lunged towards her awkwardly and I kissed her mentally freaking out she punched me square in the nose on national television broke it clean according to the doctor one of my coaches had treat me and the xrays...  When I watched the footage later and according to have my teammates I was grinning  Like a madman For Hours after that punch made impact.</p><p> Coach had said something about that girl giving me a complex No idea what that was about.</p><p> We got 2nd place  That year and instead of going back home to Phoenix mom how to stay in Pennsylvania with Joseph they got married 2 weeks later and life went downhill from there.</p>
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